Connecting AWS Glue to an Amazon RDS MySQL instance is one of the foundational steps in building automated, scalable, cloud-native ETL pipelines. This integration plays a crucial role in modern data architectures, enabling teams to streamline ingestion, transformation, cataloging, and downstream analytics.
To help data engineers, architects, and cloud transformation leaders build the right foundations, this article explains not just how to connect AWS Glue to RDS MySQL, but also why this connection is strategically important for enterprise analytics maturity, AI readiness, and cost-optimized cloud data engineering.
Why Connecting AWS Glue to RDS MySQL Matters for Modern Data Platforms
While AWS Glue is widely recognized as a serverless ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) service, its real value emerges when it integrates seamlessly with operational databases such as Amazon RDS MySQL, SQL Server, PostgreSQL, or Aurora.
A Glue-RDS connection enables organizations to:
- Automate ingestion pipelines from transactional systems
- Create centralized governed metadata via Glue Data Catalog
- Build real-time or batch ETL processes
- Feed curated data into Amazon S3, Redshift, Athena, or Microsoft Fabric
- Enable AI and ML workloads through Amazon SageMaker or Azure ML
- Reduce manual data integration efforts by 60–80%
This is exactly why modern enterprises moving toward AI-driven decision intelligence must establish robust Glue-to-RDS connectivity.
Creating a connection between an Amazon RDS instance and AWS Glue enables Glue to access data stored in the RDS database. This allows you to use Glue’s data catalog and ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) capabilities to process and analyze data from your RDS database instance.
First, we need to launch an RDS Instance with public access for this.
Any database engine can be used for this. In this blog, My-SQL Database engines is used.
Once the Database is launched, it will appear as follows in the RDS Dashboard.
To create connection, navigate to AWS Glue Studio Dashboard. In left pane, click on “Connections” and hit “Create Connection”.
Note : Make sure you are in the same region where the Database is created.
Provide ‘Name’ to the Connection, select ‘Connection Type’, ‘Database Engine’
As shown in the figure below
CTA 1: Book a free architecture review with Addend Analytics and identify 30–50% cost savings in your ETL/data engineering workflows.
Under ‘Connection Access’ section, the name of DB instance will appear in the drop down, select it and provide the admin username and password, as shown below.
And ‘Create Connection’
Note : The name of my database is ‘test_sql’
Once created, it will appear in the Connections section.
Select the connection, click on ‘Actions’, and edit the connection.
Scroll down to ‘Network Options’ and select the VPC, Subnet, and Security Group where the RDS Instance is launched. Save the settings.
Now navigate to the VPC Dashboard, select ‘Endpoint’ from the left pane, and click on ‘create endpoint’.
Enter details as follows :
Name tag : s3-endpoint
Service category : AWS Services
Service : enter ‘S3’ and select item with Type “Gateway”
Select VPC in which RDS is launched
Policy : ‘Full access’
And create the endpoint.
Navigate to ‘NAT Gateway’ from left pane and create one. Provide details as follows :
- Name : ‘S3-RDS-Nat’
- Select Subnet from drop down
- Connectivity type : “Public”
- Allocate Elastic IP
And create NAT Gateway.
Now from VPC dashboard, under ‘Endpoint’ from left pane, select the endpoint created, click on the VPC as shown in the figure,
Go to Route Tables,
Edit routes, as shown in the figure,
Click on ‘Add Route’, Destination as ‘0.0.0.0/0’, Target as Nat Gateway created in previous steps and save changes.
Create an IAM role for AWS Glue, give sufficient access (Admin access or RDS Full access – as per your requirement).
Select the Connection created and under ‘Actions’, test the connection.
Before testing select the IAM Role created and test the connection.
On successful connection, message will appear as shown in the figure
We have successfully established the connection between AWS Glue and RDS.
CTA 2: Need help building enterprise-grade ETL pipelines?
Our AWS + Azure experts can design, deploy, and optimize your end-to-end data ecosystem.
Understanding the Architecture Behind AWS Glue–RDS MySQL Connectivity
When Glue connects to RDS MySQL, a number of network and security components work together:
- Amazon VPC for network isolation
- Subnets (public or private)
- Security Groups acting as virtual firewalls
- S3 Gateway Endpoints for serverless data access
- NAT Gateway (only if Glue requires internet outbound)
- IAM Roles and Policies for authenticated Glue operations
This demonstrates why AWS Glue integration is not a plug-and-play process—it is a layered security and networking configuration designed to ensure safe ETL execution within enterprise-grade cloud environments.
Why NAT Gateway and S3 Endpoints Matter
Most Glue jobs depend on Amazon S3 for:
- script storage
- temporary data (staging)
- job bookmarks
- logging (CloudWatch and Glue logs)
Without S3 access, Glue jobs cannot run.
For private subnets where RDS usually resides, you have two connectivity patterns:
OPTION A → S3 VPC Gateway Endpoint (recommended, cheapest, secure)
- Allows private, no-Internet access to S3
- $0 cost
OPTION B → NAT Gateway (required if Glue must access the broader internet)
- Used for pip installations, external API access, and external JDBC endpoints
- Costs apply per hour + per GB
This is why the original instructions include both components—enterprise pipelines often require them.
IAM Roles: The Backbone of Secure Glue Integration
To avoid failures such as:
- Access Denied writing to S3 bucket
- Permission Denied connecting to RDS MySQL
Your IAM role must include:
- s3:PutObject, s3:GetObject, s3:ListBucket
- rds-db:connect
- Logs: cloudwatch:*
AWS recommends least privilege, but most teams during setup use admin roles until debugging is complete.
Testing the Connection: Why It’s Critical
The “Test Connection” button ensures:
- Glue can resolve DNS for RDS
- Security groups allow inbound MySQL (port 3306)
- Routing tables correctly connect subnets
- IAM roles have appropriate access
- Glue can reach S3 for script execution
This validation avoids production failures and ensures consistent ETL job reliability.
BUSINESS VALUE: WHY ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD CARE
Connecting Glue to RDS is not simply technical; it has a real business impact:
1. Automates Manual Data Extracts: Teams no longer rely on CSV exports or manual SQL scripts.
2. Enables Real-Time or Scheduled ETL Pipelines:Supports hourly, daily, or event-driven data ingestion.
3. Reduces Data Engineering Costs: Serverless ETL eliminates server management and auto-scales.
4. Accelerates Analytics & AI Initiatives: Transformed datasets can flow into:
- Power BI
- Microsoft Fabric
- Azure Synapse
- Amazon Redshift
- Databricks
5. Supports Enterprise Data Governance: Glue Data Catalog serves as a single metadata repository.
Establishing a secure and reliable connection between AWS Glue and Amazon RDS MySQL is a foundational step for building modern, automated, cloud-native ETL pipelines. As organizations move toward AI-driven analytics, Microsoft Fabric adoption, and enterprise data modernization, Glue becomes a central orchestrator that bridges transactional systems with analytical platforms.
This expanded guide showcases not only how to create the connection but why it matters for long-term scalability, cost optimization, and data strategy maturity.
Want to automate your cloud data pipelines using AWS Glue, RDS, Power BI, or Microsoft Fabric?
